Alfbed t



A. T. STEVENS.

improvement in Paints and Packages Therefor.

No. 132,874, Patented Nov.5,1872.

4M PHOTG-LITHDERAPHIC CQNXHSEORNE S PROCESS.)

Ulvrran swarms PATENT Qrrron.

ALFRED T. STEVENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAINTS AND PACKAGES THEREFOR.

ble those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, which drawing represents a side view of one of my packages.

This invention consists in a package containing a combination of colors or paints forming the staining for a number of shades or tints to be produced simply by adding the same to a white base in such a manner that an unpracticed painter is enabled to mix his colors or paints readily to correspond to any desired shade, and, furthermore, a comparatively small stock of paints is sufiicient to produce any desired variety of shades; also, in a package containing a combination of colors or paints provided with a key indicating the diiferent shades or tints to be produced by mixing the contents of the package with more or less of a white base, in such a manner that the painter or workman, in mixing his paint, is always guided by the designated shades of the key, and a uniform shade can be readily produced.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a package containing a combination of colors or paints so prepared that by adding the contents of the package to more or less white lead or other white base a number of different shades can be produced. The preparation of such combinations of colors or paints requires con-- siderable skill and experience, and if every painter has to prepare his own combinations of colors or paints he must keep a large stock of such colors or paints on hand; otherwise he will not be able to serve his customers to satisfaction. If a customer comes to a paintshop to have a certain piece of work done the painter shows him his sample-card of tints, and the customer selects the tint or shade he desires; but in order to produce this particular tint various colors are required, which, if the painter does not happen to have in his stock, he has to purchase and keep on hand the surplus perhaps for a very long time, until the same shade or tint is again required. Be-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,874, dated November 5, 1872.

sides this I have found in my experience that in order to produce the exact shade or tint required certain brands of some colors must be used, and that other brands of the same color do not produce the desired tint. Suppose, for instance, a party to have a building, or, better, a row of buildings, which he desires painted in imitation of brown stone. The painter having the contract to paint said buildings is obliged to, perhaps, personally superintend the mixing of the paint-that is, the staining of the paint, or of the white lead or other material. He can of course, if he is a good workman, readily produce a good brown-stone color,

and the building or buildings are soon painted.

Suppose the builder erects another building adjoining these and wishes it painted the same color, the difficulty of matching exactly the tint is evident, when it is known that several simple colors or pigments, such as umber, yellow ocher, black, &c., are necessary to stain white to the brown-stone color. If, however, the painter should stain his white lead or paint with one of my combinations, which I designate A, he could, by againusing the same combination, (which I always make uniform,) readily match his original tint. From this ex planation it will be readily understood how large a stock of colors would be requisite in order to enable a painter to be prepared for every tint or shade that might be desired by various customers, and it also requires considerable skill and experience to mix or com bine the various colors in such a manner and with such certainty as to produce the required tint or shade expeditiously. By putting up different combinations of colors, paints, or pigments already prepared in packages, every painter is enabled, with a comparatively small stock on hand, to produce an innumerable variety of shades simply by adding said combinations to more or less white lead or other white base, which painters or dealers always have on hand, and it requires but very little time or skill to produce the exact shade desired for any piece of work.

In order to facilitate the operation of mixing the paints I have annexed to each package a key, B, which indicates the various shades to be produced by the contents of such pack age when simply added to more or less white. The figures opposite to each square of this key indicate the proportion between pure white lead and the contents of the package, the first row of figures being for the white lead and the second row for the staining-color contained in the package.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to prepare my combinations of colors or paints I will here add the proportions which I use in.

preparing the following combinations:

Combination A.14% pounds J. S. L. F. ocher in oil; 44% pounds H. R. & Co. Venetian red that a very great number of combinations can be prepared, and, since the key on each package contains at least eight different shades, the great variety of shades to be produced by the aid of my packages will be fully appreciated. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1 1. A package containing a combination of colors, pigments, or paints, forming the staining material for a number of shades or tints of colors simply by adding the same to more or less white, substantially as described.

2. A package containing a combination of colors or paints provided with a key indicating the different shades or tints to be produced by the contents of the package, substantially as set forth.

ALFRED T. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

